{"product_id":"the-milky-way-galaxy-and-statistical-cosmology-1890-1924-paperback-9780521027342","title":"The Milky Way Galaxy and Statistical Cosmology, 1890–1924 (Paperback \/ softback) 9780521027342","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eThe Milky Way Galaxy and Statistical Cosmology, 1890–1924\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePaul describes the rise of statistical cosmology and how it has set the stage for many of the most significant developments of twentieth-century astronomy.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eErich Robert Paul (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780521027342, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 2 November 2006\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e280 pages\u003cbr\u003e23 x 15.6 x 1.6 cm, 0.397 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'Paul's book, which will fill an important gap in the history of astronomy, may become the standard reference on its subject matter for a pivotal era.' Richard Berendzen, Journal for the History of Astronomy\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eBetween the years 1890 and 1924, the dominant view of the universe suggested a cosmology largely foreign to contemporary ideas. First, astronomers believed they had confirmed that the sun was roughly in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. Second, considerable evidence indicated that the size of the galaxy was only about one-third the value now accepted by today's astronomers. Third, it was thought that interstellar space was completely transparent, that there was no absorbing material between the stars. Fourth, astronomers believed that the universe was composed of numerous star systems comparable to the Milky Way galaxy. The method that provided this picture and came to dominate cosmology was 'statistical' in nature, because it was based on the counts of stars and their positions, motions, brightnesses and stellar spectra. Professor Paul describes the rise of this statistical cosmology in light of developments in nineteenth-century astronomy and explains how this cosmology set the stage for many of the most significant developments of twentieth-century astronomy.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eList of illustrations\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e Abbreviations of manuscript sources\u003cbr\u003e Introduction\u003cbr\u003e Part I. The Nineteenth-Century Background: 1. Early nineteenth-century statistical astronomy\u003cbr\u003e 2. Statistical astronomy and the Milky Way Galaxy\u003cbr\u003e Part II. Statistical Cosmology, 1890–1924: 3. Seeliger and stellar density\u003cbr\u003e 4. Kapteyn and the distribution of stars\u003cbr\u003e 5. Statistical astronomy as a research program, 1900–15\u003cbr\u003e 6. Statistical cosmology as a research program, 1915–22\u003cbr\u003e 7. Internationalization of astronomy\u003cbr\u003e Part III. Statistical Cosmology and the Second Astronomical Revolution: 8. The decline of a research program\u003cbr\u003e 9. Conclusion: research programs in transition\u003cbr\u003e Appendix 1: Seeliger's star-ratio function\u003cbr\u003e Appendix 2: Seeliger's density theorem\u003cbr\u003e Bibliographical notes\u003cbr\u003e Index.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: History of science [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on History of science\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22History%20of%20science%20%5BPDX%5D%22\"\u003ePDX\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46006177235224,"sku":"9780521027342","price":32.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/products\/9780521027342i_69aa2215-c91f-4b90-89f3-dac3b1703b0f.jpg?v=1694964746","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-milky-way-galaxy-and-statistical-cosmology-1890-1924-paperback-9780521027342","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}